lengthen

lengthen — verb

1. to increase the physical length of something, such as a piece of clothing, a roa

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to increase the physical length of something, such as a piece of clothing, a road, hair, or a shadow, or to become physically longer

例句

The tailor lengthened Tuan's trousers by two inches before the wedding.

transitive: lengthen + clothing + by + measurement

During spring, the days gradually lengthen as the weather grows warmer.

intransitive: days lengthen (seasonal change)

同義詞
  • extend

    more general; works for both physical length and time (extend a deadline)

  • elongate

    more technical or scientific; used for shapes, lines, or biological structures

  • stretch

    implies pulling or expanding something flexible; often temporary

反義詞
  • shorten

    the direct opposite; used for the same types of objects (clothes, roads, hair)

  • reduce

    broader; can apply to length but also to amount, size, or degree

文法句型

lengthen + noun phrase (physical object)

noun phrase + lengthen (intransitive — seasonal/natural change)

be lengthened + by + measurement

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive when describing professional alterations (The sleeves were lengthened). The intransitive form is common with natural phenomena — days, shadows, queues — that grow longer over time.

常見錯誤

❌I lengthened my summer vacation by two weeks.
✅I extended my summer vacation by two weeks.
💡Use extend (not lengthen) for adding time to a planned break; lengthen is for physical length.

2. to increase the amount of time that something takes, such as a meeting, a wait,

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to increase the amount of time that something takes, such as a meeting, a wait, or a hospital stay, or to take more time than before

例句

Gabriel's speech lengthened the staff meeting by almost forty minutes.

transitive: lengthen + meeting + by + time period

The waiting time at the clinic lengthened as more patients arrived.

intransitive: waiting time lengthens

同義詞
  • extend

    neutral and common for temporal duration; slightly more natural in many contexts

  • prolong

    slightly more formal; sometimes suggests unnecessary or excessive delay

  • drag out

    informal; negative connotation of making something last too long

反義詞
  • shorten

    direct opposite for events, meetings, and durations

  • cut

    informal; suggests reducing time deliberately (cut the meeting short)

文法句型

lengthen + noun phrase (event or activity period)

noun phrase + lengthen (intransitive — time-related)

be lengthened + by + time expression

用法筆記

The subject is typically an event, activity, or period of time (the meeting, the wait, the process). A person can be the agent in transitive use (The manager lengthened the discussion), but this is less common than using extend for temporal duration.

常見錯誤

❌The tailor lengthened the time to finish the dress.
✅The tailor needed more time to finish the dress.
💡Lengthen is not used with a person as agent of time; use take more time or extend.